Fire Stations.

Thursday, 3 June 2004

Questions (199, 200, 201)

Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

192 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of new fire stations built in County Donegal in each year from 1988 to date in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17093/04]

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Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

193 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of locations of fire stations built or upgraded in each year from 1997 to date in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17094/04]

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Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

194 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will outline Donegal County Council’s five-year fire station replacement programme; the top five priorities that were assigned in that programme further to the report brought a number of years ago before the council members for priority ratification; if a station, details supplied, is on that list; and the reason it is being seemingly bypassed by stations further down on two different priority lists that had been presented down the years to council members. [17095/04]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Gallagher)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 to 194, inclusive, together.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to fire station projects undertaken in County Donegal and nationally in recent years is set out in tables 1 and 2, respectively. With regard to the number of stations constructed in Donegal, as can be seen from table 1, six new replacement stations have been completed at a total cost of around €5 million. In addition, I have recently announced approval to the council to accept a tender for the construction of a further new station at Killybegs at an all in cost of over €1 million, and also that new stations at Glenties and Dungloe may be advanced to construction over the 2004 to 2005 period.

Details of Donegal County Council's proposed five year fire station replacement programme, adopted by the council in 1999, and indicating the priority afforded by the council at that time are set out in table 3. The council's programme was set to be subject to review and adjustment depending on availability of sites and any problems at local level as well as the overall funding available under my Department's capital programme, the fire cover needs in the area, the competing demands of other fire authorities and value for money.

It is understood from the council that progress on the proposed Moville fire station project was delayed due to problems in acquiring a suitable site. The council's first request for approval in principle to the Moville station project was received in November 2003 and is being assessed by my Department, having regard to the fire cover needs in the area, the technical merits of the proposal and the requirement to progress projects already approved for commencement under the capital programme.

Earlier this year my Department initiated a review with fire authorities of all proposed fire station projects along with those in planning with a view to obtaining the best outcome from the fire station construction programme nationally. As part of this review, my Department sought an indication from each fire authority as to the relative priority of its proposed projects. However, in its February 2004 response, Donegal listed seven new fire station projects, including one at Moville, but without indicating the relative priority of these projects.

Table 1.

New fire stations completed in County Donegal from 1988-2004 to date.
Location	Year
Milford	1998
Buncrana	2000
Letterkenny HQ	2003
Falcarragh	2003
Donegal town	2004
Carndonagh	2004

Table 2

Major fire station projects completed nationally each year since 1997.*
Year	Location	Type of works
1997	Listowel	New station
	Kilkenny	Extension & improvements
1998	Kilbeggan	New
	Kilrush	New
	Dunshaughlin	Extension to drill yard
	Milford	New
	Kells	New
	Wicklow town	New
1999	Tara Street	New
	Gort	New
	Dolphin’s Barn	Extension & refurbishment
	Athy	New
	Ashbourne	New
2000	Hacketstown	New
	Ballyvolane	New
	Ardee	New
	Buncrana	New
2001	Tubbercurry	New
	Naas	New
	Clonmel Training Centre	Extension & improvements
	Tramore	Extension
	Bailieborough	New
	Ballincollig	New
	Kilronan	Extension & improvements
2002	Carlow HQ	New
	Swords	New
	Dowra	New
	Arklow	New
	Scarriff	New
	Skibbereen	New
	Monasterevin	Extension
	Ennis	Extension
2003	Callan	New
	Portlaoise HQ	New
	Falcarragh	New
	Letterkenny HQ	New
	Fermoy	New
	Birr	New
2004, to date	Ballaghaderreen	New
	Donegal town	New
	Carndonagh	New

Note: A station upgrading scheme of minor capital works to 20 stations at a total cost of €1.4 million was also approved in 2002.

Table 3

Donegal County Council's proposed five year fire station replacement programme 1999.
Station	Number of bays
Letterkenny	Four
Donegal town	Two
Killybegs	Three
Moville	Two
Falcarragh	Two
Bundoran-Ballyshannon	Three
Stranorlar	Two
Carndonagh	Two
Dungloe	Two
Glenties	Two
Gweedore	Two
Glencolmcille	Two

Question No. 195 answered with QuestionNo. 186.

Question No. 196 answered with QuestionNo. 187.

Question No. 197 answered with QuestionNo. 184.